Tony McFadden provides the Timeform ratings reaction to some key performances over jumps last week.
Inthepocket, a Grade 1-winning novice hurdler two seasons ago, made a promising start over fences at Navan last year when runner-up behind Facile Vega but a setback meant he wasn't seen out again for the remainder of the campaign.
Crucially, he retains his novice status over fences and looks set to make up for lost time this winter based on his impressive return at Wexford on Monday. Inthepocket was up against another Grade 1-winning novice hurdler in Farren Glory, last year's Royal Bond winner, but he proved far too strong and cruised to a 15-length victory in a good timefigure.
That earned him a Timeform rating of 153p, which is the highest achieved by a novice chaser so far at this early stage of the season, and he looks set to develop into a contender for top honours. He wouldn't need to show much improvement to be very competitive in most Grade 1 novice chases.
Some of Gordon Elliott's star-studded team at Down Royal were presented with an easy opening on their return, but Brighterdaysahead faced a tougher task on paper against Daddy Long Legs, a wide-margin winner of a Grade 3 at Tipperary on his previous start, and King of Kingsfield, the runner-up in the Grade 1 Royal Bond last season.
Daddy Long Legs failed to fire, underlining issues with his consistency, but King of Kingsfield ran up to his best, briefly looking a threat to his stablemate before she forged three and three-quarter lengths clear up the run-in.
Brighterdaysahead had won a Grade 1 novice hurdle at Aintree in impressive style on her final start last season, but that race wasn't a strong one as her main two rivals disappointed. She had to run to a higher level to defy a hefty penalty on her return and there was a lot to like about how she found extra when tackled. The rating she earned would be good enough to win a typical edition of the Mares' Hurdle and she remains capable of better.
For context, last year's Mares' Hurdle winner Lossiemouth, now second favourite for the Champion Hurdle, is rated 154p.
Found A Fifty was also faced with a decent test on his return having to give a stone to the progressive Galway Plate winner Pinkerton, but he proved up to the task and enhanced his superb record over fences.
Found A Fifty was campaigned exclusively in Grade 1 company last season after winning a beginners' event on his chasing debut at this two-day meeting, but he performed with plenty of credit, winning twice at the top level and finishing runner-up on the other three occasions.
He looked as good as ever on Saturday, seeing things out well to register a two-and-a-quarter-length success. That was a high-class display on the figures and he'd probably only need to improve in the region of 5 lb to be competitive in a typical renewal of the Ryanair Chase.
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